Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 28, 2015

Airlines are unlikely to stop charging passengers fees, given that add-on charges have proven to be reliable revenue stream; IdeaWorksCompany analysis of 63 airlines shows that revenue from non-ticket sources amounted to $38.1 billion in 2014; passengers often complain about fees, and fact that airlines fail to properly provide information about such fees. MORE

Jul. 26, 2015

In Transit blog; several airline carriers, as industry's finances improve, have begun to restore or add improved features for airline passengers like free Wi-Fi and beverages. MORE

Jul. 25, 2015

Transportation Dept announces it is investigating possibility that five biggest domestic airlines colluded to raise passenger fares while Amtrak service was disabled between New York and Washington, DC, in May. MORE

Jul. 21, 2015

Alias, project helmed by Pentagon’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is developing robot co-pilot functions for airplane flights; program, also known as Aircrew Labor In-Cockpit Automation System, differs from other flight automation initiatives in that it aims to augment rather than replace human pilots. MORE

Jul. 9, 2015

United Airlines halts flights nationwide for almost two hours after faulty computer network router disrupts passenger reservations system. MORE

Jul. 4, 2015

Jul. 2, 2015

Justice Dept announces it has opened investigation into possibility that airlines are colluding to limit capacity on flight routes in order to restrain competition and bump up fare prices; announcement comes two years after department cleared merger of American Airlines and US Airways after determining that it would be boon to consumers. MORE

Jun. 30, 2015

United Airlines is set to announce $30 million investment in Fulcrum BioEnergy, along with groundbreaking plans to use Fulcrum biofuel in route from Los Angeles to San Francisco; investment is largest yet by domestic airline in alternative fuel, highlighting pressure airlines are under to reduce carbon emissions; BioEnergy's product is derived from farm waste and oil from animal fats. MORE

Jun. 23, 2015

Dozens of LOT Airlines flights are grounded for hours, leaving thousands of passengers stranded in Warsaw's Chopin Airport; Polish airline attributes groundings to computer attack by unidentified culprits, and, if confirmed, would mark first time flights have been canceled or delayed because of hacking. MORE

Jun. 22, 2015

Several developments show that noise activists in Queens are beginning to receive serious attention from Port Authority of New York and New Jersey officials after years of intense lobbying; dialog has improved between activists, airport administrators and residents who have long suffered due to noise from LaGuardia and JFK International Airport. MORE

Jun. 19, 2015

Dallas files suit against the Transportation Dept, Federal Aviation Administration and several airlines, seeking to settle long-running dispute over which airlines can operate out of Love Field; federal law governing rules at airport has expired after 30 years, leading to several disputes, including prominent battle between Southwest Airlines and Delta. MORE

Jun. 18, 2015

Sen Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut asks Justice Dept to investigate if airlines are colluding to limit capacity and force fares up. MORE

Jun. 16, 2015

The Upshot; International Air Transport Assn clarifies its reduced carry-on baggage size guideline following passenger objections, saying smaller size is optimum and not maximum; clarification allows airlines, which often have not enforced existing size limits, to continue setting their own guidelines. MORE

Jun. 12, 2015

James B Stewart Common Sense column observes that 'discipline' was buzzword at international meeting of airline executives, and that term is thinly-veiled euphemism for limiting flights and seats in order to keep prices high; observes that years of consolidation in industry are now resulting in trends that cannot be called outright market fixing, but are nonetheless terrible for consumers and good for profits. MORE

Jun. 11, 2015

Environmental Protection Agency will launch initiative to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes, but admits it will probably take years before strict standards are put in place; says airplane emissions add to global warming. MORE

Jun. 10, 2015

United States and Iran, nearing June 30 deadline on nuclear talks, seem to be steering toward possible tangle over purchase of nine used Airbus jetliiners by Mahan Air, Iranian airline blacklisted under US sanctions. MORE

Jun. 10, 2015

Pending report from airline food workers union United Here cites investigation by Food and Drug Admin inspector that found unsanitary conditions in food service facilities at Los Angeles International Airport; facilities are operated by Flying Food Group, and inspectors have found similar conditions at several kitchens operated by company. MORE

Jun. 10, 2015

Global airlines agree on new non-binding agreement that would further limit the size of carry-on bags in effort to free up space in overhead bins; rules could invalidate many currently-approved bags, though it is unclear how they will be implemented. MORE

Jun. 9, 2015

Many airlines have been trying to encourage customers to book flights directly on their own websites to avoid paying commission to third-party sites that sell plane tickets by pulling fare information from those sites. MORE

Jun. 7, 2015

The Upshot; airlines are upping requirements for frequent travelers to reach higher status levels in attempt to cut ranks of 'elite' travelers and make perks more desirable and sought after. MORE

Jun. 3, 2015

Environmental Protection Agency prepares to report that greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes endanger human health because they significantly contribute to global warming; so-called 'endangerment finding' will prompt requirement under Clean Air Act for agency to issue new regulations, joining string of new rules that have become hallmark of Pres Obama's environmental legacy. MORE

Jun. 2, 2015

Solar-powered plane Solar Impulse 2 makes unplanned stop in Japan to wait out bad weather during attempt to circle globe using no fuel. MORE

May. 27, 2015

Irish government agrees to takeover proposal for its 25 percent stake in Aer Lingus in deal that would value carrier at some $1.5 billion; sale, to International Consolidated Airlines Group, is still subject to Parliamentary vote and approval by Ryanair, which owns 29.8 percent of Aer Lingus. MORE

May. 22, 2015

New electronic-messaging system, which has been tested at Newark Liberty International Airport, could reduce takeoff time for planes, ease delays and save jet fuel; system sends revised route data to pilots. MORE

May. 19, 2015

Airlines for America trade and lobby group says United States airlines will carry record 222 million passengers between June 1 and Aug 31, topping summer of 2007 when 217.6 million passengers traveled. MORE

May. 15, 2015

Deadly Amtrak derailment, and subsequent schedule disruptions along one of nation's busiest corridors, have forced travelers and commuters to come up with alternative plans; flights in region are packed with those who can afford tickets, which have become more expensive due to demand; others have been forced to drive or take buses. MORE

May. 15, 2015

Matias Campiani, former chief executive of private equity firm Leadgate, remains in jail as Uruguayan officials continue to sort through 2012 collapse of Pluna, the national airline; critics say that Campiani, along with his fellow founders, were treated as scapegoats by government reckoning with national embarrassment; complex case has emerged as cautionary tale of the dangers of privatization and Latin American politics. MORE

May. 14, 2015

Frontier Airlines announces resignation of chief executive David Siegel, for personal reasons. MORE

May. 12, 2015

Iranian airline Mahan Air is reported to have bought nine used Airbus passenger planes from unidentified seller; purchase could complicate negotiations over country's nuclear program as airline is on Treasury Dept sanctions list for supporting Revolutionary Guards Quds Force and Hezbollah militants. MORE

May. 7, 2015

Business travelers and others who rack up frequent-flier miles should be aware that while terms and conditions of most airlines prohibit transfer of frequent-flier miles, even in case of death or divorce, heirs are often able to persuade airlines to waive their rules. MORE

May. 7, 2015

Industry experts say growing business travel is keeping most passenger flights at full capacity, leaving little incentive for airlines to translate falling oil prices into lower airfares. MORE

May. 6, 2015

Bronx man Elehecer Balaguer, who has history of psychological issues and convictions for dealing drugs, pleads guilty to shining laser pointer at planes headed for La Guardia Airport; Balaguer had previously admitted, during trial of Frank J Egan, that he had been sole perpetrator; faces up to five years in prison on federal charges. MORE

May. 4, 2015

Rhapsody, in-flight magazine served by United Airlines to its front-cabin passengers, has developed an unlikely but impressive roster of A-list literary talent in effort to attract high-end clientele; has published original works by luminaries such as Joyce Carol Oates and Rick Moody; magazine illustrates how publishers and writers are looking for new ways to reach readers in shaky retail climate. MORE

May. 1, 2015

Federal Aviation Administration orders operators of Boeing 787 Dreamliners to periodically shut down plane's electrical systems, responding to report from Boeing that warned of total power loss if generators are operated for too long; company is developing software update to fix problem. MORE

Apr. 30, 2015

American Airlines reports delay of dozens of flights when software installed in iPads used by pilots malfunctioned, making some electronic flight materials, including airport maps, unaccessible. MORE

Apr. 25, 2015

Record earnings reported by top airlines in United States are marked shift in industry, particularly striking given that first quarter is usually weakest; trend is attributed to low fuel prices and continuing strong domestic air travel demand. MORE

Apr. 19, 2015

Investigation into life of Germanwings pilot Andreas Lubitz in order to understand why he intentionally crashed flight, killing himself and 149 other people, has exposed how little airline industry and its regulators have done to address mental illness among pilots; Lubitz's mental health issues were well established by time he was being trained, and he displayed increasingly troubled behavior that raised no concerns even up until his final flight. MORE

Apr. 18, 2015

Connecticut is rankling both Ohio and North Carolina with claim that it is cradle of aviation, declaring that Gustave Whitehead was first man to take powered aircraft aloft, over Connecticut soil in 1901, predating brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright's first powered flight in 1903. MORE

Apr. 14, 2015

Frequent business airline travelers say requests to change seats have assumed new stridency and anxiety in crowded cabins; contend there is certain etiquette involved that infrequent travelers frequently violate. MORE

Apr. 11, 2015

Obama administration announces that it will review claims made by Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and American Airlines that Emirates, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways received more than $42 billion in aid from their governments, thereby distorting market. MORE

Apr. 10, 2015

Conflicts are increasing between ultra-Orthodox Jewish men refusing to sit next to female airline passengers, sometimes delaying or disrupting flights; men are trying to follow their faith by avoiding all contact with women who are not their wives; situation always existed but stories of such skirmishes seem to be on the rise because ultra-Orthodox communities are growing due to high birth rates. MORE

Apr. 10, 2015

Op-Ed article by pilot and author Patrick Smith rejects argument, reinvigorated after Germanwings plane crash in French Alps, that planes can be fully automated and that robot-controlled flights may be safer than those piloted by humans; contends pilots carry out many vital tasks during flight and are necessary even to automated tasks. MORE

Apr. 9, 2015

French air traffic controllers begin strike to call for improved working conditions and better retirement options; half of country's flights are cancelled as result. MORE

Apr. 7, 2015

Rising discontent with plane-related noise pollution has become an unlikely factor in Chicago's impending mayoral election; Chicago Dept of Aviation has registered more than 39,500 noise complaints in area around O'Hare International Airport this year; mayoral challenger Jesus G Garcia has leveraged perception that Mayor Rahm Emanuel has not given issue enough attention. MORE

Apr. 7, 2015

Future of Export-Import Bank may lie in outcome of battle between Delta Air Lines and Boeing, which have both spent millions of dollars to lobby for and against agency, respectively; Boeing's stake in battle is clear as it avers that the export credit agency helps it compete against Airbus, while Delta's is murkier, although Delta argues that agency's policies have led to competitors lowering prices on airfares. MORE

Apr. 7, 2015

Advances in sensor technology, computing and artificial intelligence are raising possibility that planes could be piloted by robots, as well as question of how necessary human pilots are to commercial flights; deliberate crash of Germanwings plane in French alps has made idea of computer-controlled planes more appealing to some, but others question whether passengers will trust robot. MORE

Apr. 3, 2015

Editorial submits role of co-pilot with known mental health problems in crash of Germanwings flight in French Alps raises question of how to keep pilots with mental issues from endangering passengers; suggests airline industry adopt Aerospace Medical Assn recommendations for mental health screenings and allowing pilots to ask for help without fear of reprisal. MORE

Mar. 31, 2015

Joe Sharkey On the Road column looks back on 16 years of writing column in his final post; offers advice to airline travelers to pay attention to safety instructions. MORE